Army warden charged with aiding the enemy

[tequila]

NBC News is reporting (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18311404/).


NBC News has learned that the commander of Camp Cropper, the massive U.S. Army detention center in Baghdad, has been charged with aiding the enemy.

The Army tells NBC News that military police arrested Lt. Col. William H. Steele several weeks ago and that he is being held at a detention facility in Kuwait. He now faces an Article 32 hearing, the military's equivalent of a grand jury investigation, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute him.

An Army statement listed these charges against Steele: "One specification of a violation of Article 104, aiding the enemy; one specification of a violation of Article 134, retaining classified material; two specifications of violations of Article 133, conduct unbecoming an officer, for relationships involving an interpreter and another Iraqi female; five specifications of a violation of Article 92, failure to obey lawful orders for wrongfully storing classified materials, improperly marking classified materials, failing to obey an order from a superior officer, possession of pornography and dereliction of duty as an approving official for the expenditure of government funds."

[Jimbo]

Potentially going to leavenworth for the "Long Course".

[Stan]

One theory, but by no means an excuse:
Has our enemy adopted methods of using female spies ? How else does one gain entry into a U.S. military compound ? Was he offered some good times and ended up deep in the game ? He’ll certainly have a lot of time to reflect.

[goesh]

An apt verse from that old Bobby Fuller song comes to mind: "breaking rocks in the hot sun, I fought the Law and the Law won". If convicted, after 90 years served I would parole him but on the other hand, if convicted he should maybe walk the gallows instead if his actions are directly attributed to anyone's death. I think the ol' honey trap got him for sure. He was being blackmailed - probably some pics taken while with one of the women, that sort of thing.

[tequila]

Official text of the charges (http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/20070426CROPPER.pdf).


Specification: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 October 2005 and 31 October 2006, aid the enemy by providing an unmonitored cellular phone to detainees.

...

CHARGE III: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 133
Specification 1: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or
about 20 October 2005 and 22 February 2007, knowingly and wrongfully fraternize with the daughter of a detainee, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces.

Specification 2: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or
about 1 December 2005 and 11 December 2006, knowingly and wrongfully provide special privileges to and maintain an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces.

[Ski]

What a dope.

[Jedburgh]

One theory, but by no means an excuse:
Has our enemy adopted methods of using female spies ? How else does one gain entry into a U.S. military compound ? Was he offered some good times and ended up deep in the game ? He’ll certainly have a lot of time to reflect.
Saddam's Mukhabarat used women to get an "in" to members of UNSCOM during that particular period of time. Several of the female staff were young and attractive and did not hesitate to make approaches to male UNSCOM staff - sometimes a male Iraqi would act as a go-between. There were also prostititutes available, although they were technically "off-limits" to the UNSCOM folks, not all were smart enough to keep away.

Just like the IED threat, this approach has history in Iraq. CI shouldn't be so naive that they believe the old honey trap is not exploited by the threat just because they are "Muslim".

[Stan]

Hey Ted !
Concur...CI should be on the ball here.

I wondered just how far this had developed - obviously nothing new. I recall 2001 reports regarding UN inspectors being 'background checked' by LTG Mahmud before they even arrived in country. Exploitable weaknesses, age group, nervous, vulnerable, sexual preferences, their hotel rooms bugged, extremely friendly and knowledgeable 'drivers' taking UN members to local waterin holes and ending up in freak and harmless accidents with an already married female in the vehicle. Sort of mini PSYOPS !

We knew all of this, right ? That is, our folks were briefed and prepared for what was ahead.

I'd understand a tad more, if it was a 19 year old E-2 prison guard fresh out of BCT and AIT, who got into the cookie jar and didn't want to get out, only to later be blackmailed. But, most O-5s are doing pretty good as far as a military career goes...reached maturity, gone to school several times over, etc.

Regards, Stan

Saddam's Mukhabarat used women to get an "in" to members of UNSCOM during that particular period of time. Several of the female staff were young and attractive and did not hesitate to make approaches to male UNSCOM staff - sometimes a male Iraqi would act as a go-between. There were also prostititutes available, although they were technically "off-limits" to the UNSCOM folks, not all were smart enough to keep away.

Just like the IED threat, this approach has history in Iraq. CI shouldn't be so naive that they believe the old honey trap is not exploited by the threat just because they are "Muslim".

[Tom Odom]

Stan and Ted,

I remember "honey trap" role playing at the graduation exercise for attache training. And guess what? Some guys actually went for the "honey." They did not graduate.

Tom

[Stan]

Hey Tom,
I watched that training in FL. I loved it :D

Boys will be boys !

On the serious side, DIA weeded those out for a very good reason. OK, we can't do that with conventional forces, or we'd have few available for action outside of CONUS.

I think and hope some precautionary measures have been in place and the O5 in question had merely been away from home too long.

His other violations that Tequila posted may not be related to his cookie jar adventures, but seems they are.

[Van]

To be fair, "innocent until PROVEN guilty".

This having been said... Maybe the CI folks should tag team with the sexual harassment during the annual required training. When the sexual harassment folks say "it doesn't matter if the other person 'invites' the contact", the CI folk get to chime in.

Zipper control isn't just a 'workplace politics' issue. If the charges are proven true, the guy should get maxed. A LTC can reasonably be expected to know better, to have the maturity and judgment to not let a foreign national female influence his professional judgement.

[LawVol]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/world/middleeast/02steele.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[tequila]

I'm all for humane treatment of prisoners, but flashing your pistol at your own tower guards and buying Cuban cigars for Saddam Hussein? :eek: What the hell?

[Jedburgh]

...Investigators also said they found 18,000 classified documents on two computers, in a briefcase and elsewhere at his workspace and living quarters on a sprawling base in Baghdad, though they did not suggest that he had passed any of the documents to unauthorized people....
18,000 goes way beyond sloppy handling of classified. Soldiers have been hammered and careers destroyed for far less than just that aspect of the case.

But I see the old counter-accusation gambit is already rearing its head:

...Some lawyers for detainees at Camp Cropper said Colonel Steele may have been the target of ire from some of the military’s top commanders because he did not favor rougher treatment for prisoners....

[RTK]

But I see the old counter-accusation gambit is already rearing its head:

We call that "counter-IO."

[Jimbo]

well, at this point we just have tie the DC madam or a diaper wearing astronaut to this. Too bad Anna Nicole smith's baby's paternity was already settled.